SHREVEPORT, La. - In a stunning
turn of events, Virginia Tech scored two
touchdowns in the final 35 seconds of
the first half to spark an unforgettable
45-20 victory over No. 20 Indiana in the
Poulan Weed Eater Independence Bowl.

Tech led the New Year's Eve bowl
game by one point (14-13)
just before the half, but
Indiana was rallying. With 35
seconds left and the ball on
the Tech 49, IU quarterback
John Paci dropped back to
pass and was hit by Hokie
defenders George DelRicco
and DeWayne Knight. The
ball popped loose and
eventually bounced into the
hands of Tech end Lawrence
Lewis who sprinted the final 20 yards to
the end zone.

Suddenly, the Tech lead was 21-13
and the Hokies had a big momentum
boost going into the locker room. But the
half wasn't quite over.

Indiana returned the
ensuing kickoff to the
Tech 42, then Paci
completed a 9-yard pass.
The Hokies thought time
expired and started
trotting off the field. The
officials ruled, however,
that IU had called timeout
with one second
remaining.

The Hoosiers lined up
for a 51-yard field goal.
When the ball was
snapped, Tech's Jeff
Holland pushed through
the line and tipped the
kick. The ball caromed in
the air and Hokie
defensive back Antonio
Banks settled under it at
the 20. Banks started to
his right, then reversed
his field as blockers
formed. A block by
teammate Torrian Gray at
the IU 15 cleared the last
obstacle and Banks
strutted into the end zone
untouched with an 80-yard return.

Just like that, the No.
22 Hokies sealed a win in
their first bowl
appearance of the Frank Beamer era.
Tech's 21 points were the most ever
scored in the second quarter of the 18-year bowl game.

Tech quarterback Maurice DeShazo
won the Outstanding Offensive Player
award after completing 19 of 33 passes
for 193 yards and two
touchdowns. One of his
scoring tosses was a 42-yard
strike to split end Antonio
Freeman, who finished the
day with five catches for 66
yards.

Banks, who had an
interception, a fumble
recovery and nine tackles to
go with his touchdown return,
was named the Outstanding
Defensive Player. The Hokies were
credited with seven quarterback sacks in
the game and allowed an Independence
Bowl record-low 11 first downs, including
just six during the first three quarters.